October 14, 2017

Prof. H.K. Lee’s team is expecting to commercialize CCU technology for production of construction materials.

As a research project of the Saudi Aramco – KAIST CO2 Management Center, Professor H.K. Lee’s research team has been undertaking the development of CO2 utilization and reduction technology in the production of cement-based construction materials on a commercial scale. This ongoing project was extended from a previous one (2014-2017) which demonstrated that concrete, an ordinary building material, can be an effective medium for CO2 storage via carbonation reaction. Moving on from the previous project, which provided the theoretical ground for carbonation curing technology for the production of concrete, this project is expected to translate relevant scientific and engineering knowledge into commercial and industrial practice.

Figure 1. Strength development of cement enhanced by carbonation curing* .
The proposed technology utilizes carbonation reaction in which cement clinkers and hydration products interact with CO2 in the atmosphere to form calcium carbonate. This reaction in concrete occurs consistently, functions as a stable sink for CO2, and enhances the strength of concrete. Professor H.K. Lee and his team are expecting to commercialize this technology for the production of bricks/blocks, precast concrete, and ready-mix concrete within the next three years.